The mechanisms whereby organic hazardous wastes interact with cement matrices is important for characterizing existing and future solidification/stabilization technologies and for evaluating these technologies using short-term testing techniques. In the complex chemistry of cement setting reactions, many phases are formed. Consequently it is necessary to use a variety of microscopic and microanalytical tools in studies of these systems. Methods employed in the present study are scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, electron probe microanalysis, and X-ray powder diffraction. Examples of the application of these techniques to studies of cement containing para-bromophenol are presented. The organic appears to occupy several different environments, and an inhomogeneous distribution of the phenol among the phases of hydrated portland cement can be demonstrated.